BEIJING (AP) – China’s president on Thursday strongly condemned the killing of a Chinese hostage by the Islamic State group, saying such groups are enemies of mankind.
Though President Xi Jinping expressed resolve to crack down on terrorism, there was no indication that China would change its consistent opposition to outside involvement in the conflict in Syria, where IS has captured a broad swath of territory. Beijing says the Syrians themselves need to arrive at a political solution.
IS said in its magazine Wednesday that it had killed two hostages it was holding for ransom – from Norway and China – after they had been “abandoned” by infidel nations.
The Chinese man had been identified as Fan Jinghui, 50, a self-described wanderer from Beijing who once taught grade school and sometimes worked in TV production. China’s Foreign Ministry in Beijing confirmed his killing early Thursday.
“China strongly condemns the brutality of the killing of Chinese national by the Islamic State extremists,” the Chinese president said in Manila while attending an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. He was quoted by China’s official Xinhua News Agency. He expressed his condolences to the victim’s family.